Manual control device



Maak-16, 1943.I

J. F. vsLADKYl MANUAL CONTROL` DEVICE 'Fiied Jan'. 25, 1949 INVENTOR v ,Y K D A L 5 c'. M E 5 0 J ,'60. l .VT-DL j I ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 16, 1943 MANUAL vCONTROL DEVICE Joseph F. Sladky, Racine, Wis., assignor to Nash- Kelvinator Corporation, Kenosha, Wis., a corporation of Maryland 4Application January 25, 1940, Serial No. 315,471

2 Claims. (Cl. 74--503) v This invention relates to manual control devices and has particular reference to the controls usually positioned on the instrument panel of an automobile. t

Various parts of an automobile such as the lights, throttle, choke and radio are commonly controlled by cables and shafts .which terminate in buttons on the instrument panel. In the past it has been the practice for these controls to include a shaft journaled in the instrument panel and connected by suitable linkage to the controlled part. The ends of the shafts are provided with knobs fastened to the shafts by set screws threaded in the knob or knobs moulded on the shafts. Knobs fastened by set screws must be tapped and are liable to become loose and rattle. Knobs moulded on the shaft require a relatively large and expensive die since the whole shaft must go into the die. p My invention provides for the control shaft to be made in a simple shape of any desired length and either directly connected to the part it is to control or fastened to its part by a simple connection. The shaft is then provided with a knob that may be cheaply fashioned in a small mould and securely installed without use of tools.

It is-an object of this invention to provide a control which is' cheaper to construct than arrangements used heretofore.

` It is another object of this invention to provide a control which will be free from vibration and rattling.

It is another object of my invention to provide means for holding my control in any one of a plurality of positions. t

It is another object of my vinvention to provide a novel connection between the control shaft and connecting linkage. l

Other objects and advantagesl of this invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following specification and the attached drawing of which there is one sheet and in which Figure 1 represents a partially broken` away plan view of a control panel and dash'panel with associated controls;

' Figure 2 represents a section taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows; f

Figure 3 represents a modied type of control shaft and knob with the parts in disassembled position; l

Figure 4 represents a modified type of control shaft and knob;

Figure 5 represents a modified type of control shaft and knob? Figure 6 represents a section taken along the line 6 6 of Figure 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows; and f Y Figure'l represents a front elevation of the connecting clip shown in position in Figures 1 and 2.

In Figures l and 2 I have illustrated a portion of an automobile instrument panel at I0 and dash panel at II through which project a plurality of cont-rol shafts I2 such as are commonly used today to operate a choke, throttle or light switch or some similar mechanism. The instrument panel is apertured at I4 to allow the shafts to project forwardly of the panel where they are readily accessible. Illustrated at I6 is a flexible gasket which is made of rubber or some other suitable material which is deformable so that it may be forced through the aperture to engage the instrument panel I0.

The gasket I6 is provided with an annular groove I8 which is arranged to engage the instrument panel I0 around the aperture and a front portion 20 which forms an abutment for the control knob 22. The gasket I5 is shaped with a hole 24 through the center thereof which forms a bearing for the shaft I2. The flexible nature of the rubber gasket allows it to be deformed and forced through the aperture I4 and will prevent the transmission of vibrations between the shaft and the panel I0. The gasket is tapered as at I9 to facilitate forcing it through the aperture I4.

The control knob 22, which may be molded or otherwise formed of rubber or some similar material, is provided with a hole 25 down its center in which is retained the shaft I2. Near the forward end of the knob the hole 26 is turned at right angles and brought out to the bottom of the knob as at 28. The shaft I2 is provided with a bent over end portion 30 to fit into the hole 28. I have found that by making the bent over portion 30 of the shaft I2 relatively short the rubber knob 22 may be deformed sufficiently to force the knob 22 onto the kshaft I2 over the bent down portion 3i) until the ibent down portion registers with the hole 28, at which time the natural resiliency of the knob will clamp the knob tightly around the shaft I2; The bent down portion 30 of the shaft prevents the knob from rotating relative to the shaft I2 so that this type of control knob may be used for operating control shafts which must be turned to obtain the desired control. This arrangement is also suitable to control a shaft which it is desired to push or pull such as a choke shaft. The control knobs may of course be molded in any shape to produce the desired appearance on the control panel.

In Figures 3, 4 and 5, I have illustrated different methods of shaping the end of the control shaft and knob which methods are more particularly applicable to shafts designed to be reciprocated along the axis of the shaft. Thus in Figure 3 the control shaft 32 is provided with a frusto-conical projection 34 at its end, and the control knob 36 is molded with a shaft receiving hole 38 terminating in a frusto-conical recess 4 for receiving the projection 34. The control knob is suiciently flexible to be deformed so that it may be pushed over the end portion 34 of the shaft until this end portion fits within the recess 40 in the knob. The projections of the end portion 34 then engage the walls of the recess 4I) so that the shaft may be pushed or pulled by means of control knob 36 without withdrawing the knob 36 therefrom. I have found it desirable to fashion the control knob 3S so that the hole 38 and recess 48 are slightly smaller than the dimensions of the shaft 32Y and its end projection 34. In this manner the natural resiliency of the knob 36 will tightly hold the knob to the shaft 32.

In Figure 4, shaft 42 is provided with a se ries of circular ribs 44 and the control knob 46 is shaped with similar interior grooves 50 arranged to register with the ribs 44.

In Figure I have illustrated a shaft 52 having a coneshaped projection 54 at its end, which shaft and projection t within a hole 58 and recess 60 within the control knob 56,

All of these combinations of the control shaft and knob are easily assembled by merely forcing the control knob over the end of the shaft after the shaft has been installed in a dash panel, which type of assembly is much cheaper than the usual methed of fastening the. control knob onto the shaft by means of a set screw. The control knob may obviously be held on the shaft by various shaped projections formed on the shaft.

Since the controls described above are directly connected to the controlled part, there is. little chance for friction as between the various, links and connections of older types of controls.V This feature is objectionable on some controls which it is desirable to locate in a fixedposition. Hence, I have provided retarding means for fixing my control shafts in any one of a plurality of positions. This means consists of a leaf spring fastened to any stationary part of the body and adjacent to a control shaft.. The spring is so positioned that its free portion will bear against a portion of the shaft with sufficient force to create a friction holding force to prevent the shaft from being accidentally moved. A convenient methodV of installing a spring of this kind is as follows:

The dash panel II is apertured as at 60 to pass such control shafts I2 as it is desirable to extend into the motor compartment. The apertures 66 will normally be aligned with the apertures I4 in the instrument panel I0 as shown. The apertures 60 are large enough to freely pass the shafts I2, Gaskets may or may not be provided between the shafts and the-apertures.

My holding means consists of a leaf spring` 62 which is given a permanent U-shaped bend 64- at its mid-section. The ends 66 of the spring extend at right angles from the U-shaped portion 64 when the spring is free. The spring 62 is held to the dash panel II by means of a self threading screw 68, the shank of which passes through the U-shaped bend 64 while the head is drawn down against the edges of the spring. It will be noted that the screw 68 is located sufficiently below the shafts I2 to cause the ends 66 of the spring 62 to be sprung sulciently to press against the shafts I2. This pressure may be regulated by raising or lowering the position of the screr7 68 and is sufficient to create a friction lock to retain the shafts I2 against accidental displacement. If desired the shafts may be notched to engage the spring at preselected positions.

While I have found it most convenient to lo- .cate the spring 62 on the front of the dash II, as shown, where it is accessible, the spring may obviously be attached anyhere along. the control shaft and may be applied to only one control shaft. Other methods may also be used to fasten the spring 62 to its support.

In some cases it is not practical to carry the shaft I2 directly to the part to be controlled so I have provided the circular spring clip 'Hl (see Figures 1, 2 and 7) by means of which a cable 72 isv attached to the shaft. The cable 'l2 may be carried to the part to be controlled by passing it through a hole 'I4 in the dash panel II. The spring clip "III` has two diverging, legs 16 which are apertured as at 18 so as to fit over the shaft I2. By bendingY the legs T6 together the holes 'I8 are brought into alignment and the clip may be easily moved along the shaft. When the legs are released they will spring` apart and grip the shaft to hold the clip in place. One of the legs 'I6 is elongated at 80 and provided with the aperture 82 through which the end of the cable 12 is passed. The cable may be conveniently attached to the clip by fastening the plug 84 around the end of the cable. It will be noted that the length and tightness of the cable may be easily adjusted by moving the clip I0 along the shaft I2.

I have thus provided a control shaft which cooperates with a knob moulded in a small inexpensive die. The control may be installed quickly without tools and is adaptable to various types of controls.

This disclosure is meant to be an example only and is not to be taken as limiting my invention.

1. Control mechanism comprising parts to be controlled,` a panel defining apertures, a pair of control shafts extending through said apertures and arranged to control said parts, aleaf spr-ing having its ends resting against said shafts, clamping means for fastening the intermediate portion of said spring to saidl panel inA sucha position as to deflect said spring to pressv against said shafts.

2. In an automobile having aninstrumentpanel and a dash panel defining pairs ofV alignedl apertures, aV pair of control. shafts extending` through said pairs of apertures, and a leaf spring fastened to the front of said dash panel between said shafts and. having its ends bearing on said shafts.

JOSEPH F. SLADKY. 

